Volunteer of the Month
Archives

January 2020
Lee Lombard

Photo of Lee Lombard

This month we’d like to give thanks to Lee Lombard. Lee is one of our Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) drivers. In fact he is one of our top TAP drivers, consistently in the top three for miles driven and hours. He came to the center nearly five years ago, just looking to donate some books, when he happened to see a TAP flyer on the board. He asked the Front Desk person what TAP was, and she took him straight to the TAP coordinator. That was all it took, and he=s been driving ever since. He now drives every weekday, and even on weekends, sometimes taking 2 rides a day. He drives all over the Inland Empire which doesn’t leave him much time to explore the fun things our center has to offer, but he hopes to get involved soon. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, his father’s travels in the Air Force eventually brought him out to March AFB in Riverside, and he=s been here ever since. He did a stint in the Air Force, where he got trained in Military Pay, which helped him after he left, to get into Money Management, which he turned into a 30 year career as a banker and financial advisor. Now single, he has a daughter and two grandsons. Thanks Lee stepping up big time into this important program.

Featured Class

Computer Desktop 101
Date: October 3, 2019
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 am
Length: 8
Cost: $8 members
      $8 non-members
Instructor: TBA
Location: gameroom
Description: This is a beginners class for those who are just that. Beginners. Those who register will be asked about their level and what they hope or need to learn. Classes will be tailored to fit the needs of the students. Classes are on Thursday. Computers (desktops and laptops), tablets, and smart phones will be covered.

Featured Activity

Yoga
Time: Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Cost: $5.00 per class members
      $5.00 per class non-members
Location: Exercise Room
Description: In these stressful times we have the perfect solution to help you relax. Yoga. Yuki Mugimiya, our yoga instructor, came to us from Kumamoto, Japan. It was there that he mastered karate and yoga. It was this mastery that brought him to the states. He was hired in 1971 by the Cincinnati Police Department to teach them karate. While there he also taught at the University of Kentucky. Then he transferred to the west coast to teach at U.S.C. He said that he teaches seniors the same techniques he taught the police and college students. He just slows down the pace. It is a mixture of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian yoga. [Sendo which blends Asamas (postures), Seifuku-ho, Qi-Gong, Mantras, and a few other techniques into this unique style.] He is also certified with the Bodden Institute for Yoga Holistic Studies and the International Yoga Alliance. So whether you have trouble getting into the lotus position, or if you can get both legs behind your head, this class is for you, he'll be able to get you relaxed. He also shows Shia-tsu and other massage techniques as well. The classes are on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 am and are only $3 per class, so come and join them for a stress free time.
Operation Senior Claus 2011
By: Mike Sylva
(Christmas) is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book



For those who have read Washington Irving’s ‘Old Christmas,’ you can appreciate the impact he had on bringing the idyllic English Christmas stateside. He is also credited by Charles Dickens as an influence on his own Christmas writings, including the classic A Christmas Carol. Both works seek to bring back the idea of hospitality. Something we could use in this commercialized Christmas era.

One way you can help with this is to remember that in this “season of giving”, it’s not always the amount of presents, or giving for giving’s sake. It’s giving to make a difference to someone. Presents don’t have to be big or expensive. Sometimes the smallest thing can make the biggest difference in someone’s life. For some seniors it only takes 1 can of food, or $10 gift card to brighten the holidays of a senior this Christmas.

Operation Senior Claus is now coming to the home stretch and we need you to make it a success for us, but also a Merry Christmas for our seniors. We are hoping to help out over 100 seniors this years, but we need your help. We will be preparing Christmas dinners (turkey and all the trimmings), and little gift baskets for some worthy seniors. To do this we are still in need of money donations, gift cards to food markets, as well as hygiene products (i.e. toothbrushes, shampoo).

So please think about helping out those less fortunate and take the words of Ruth Cater Stapleton to heart. “Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.”